Refrigerating structure for vending machines



Oct. 24, 1950 E. C- QOHNSON REFRIGERATING STRUCTURE FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed March 1 1948 INV EN TOR.

ATTOkA/E Patented Oct. 24, 1950 UN I TED S TATES PATENT FE [CE REFRIGEBA'IING STRUCTURE FOR VENDING MACHINES Elmer'C.'-Johrisoii, -Kansas City, Mo., as'si'g'n'ofiby'" mesiie' a'ssighriierits, to The Vendo Company} Kansas' fiityfMolfa "corporation of Missouri- Applieation March 1, 1948, Serial No. 12,247

This invention hasto do broadly" with the field ofvending machines for bottled goods and more specifically to refriggatingktructure for such machinesadap'ted to'permit normal 'opration' of the vending 'mach'ineitse'li and also capable of keeping the bottles stored within the machine at a proper predetermined temperature.

One of the most difficult problems in the field of vending machines for bottled goods is that of maintaining the bottles to be vended at a proper temperature whereby the contents thereof will be on the market today, the bottles mustbe disposed in a-predetermined fashion in order to render the machine operableand when so disposed, such bottles' are difficult to cool. This difiiculty arises 'not only because of the complicated supporting structure" usually needed and further, because of the fact that" the machine itself cannot be" made small and compact if a large an'dbulky refrigerating unitis'incorporated in the machine.

The most importantjpbject of this invention therefore'yis the provision'of a vending machine for bottled goods" having unique 'st'r'ucturefor supporting the bottles in the formof a part1 tione'd body" to present a plurality of stalls for each of the bottlespsaid body being made entirely from material having high'heatcond'uct ing'p'roperties to the end that an efiicient' heat exchange between the refrigerating unit forming a part of the machine, is presented "when" such refrigerating means is'disposed in heat absorbing relationship to the" bottle support and to the bottles themselves' 7 I Other objects of this inventiori'in'clude many details of construction to rendertlie'flaboveob jects andadvantages possible, all of which will be'made clear during the" course of the follow ing specification, reference being 'ha'd -to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is'a top plan view of a vendingma'chi'ne for bottled oods, the vending cover thereforbe ing entirely removed and parts being broken away to reveal details of'construction; and

Fig. 2 is a side'elev'ational viewthere'of parts being" broken away'and in section forclearn'esst' The vendingmachine" chosen ror' illustration"- broadly designated -by the-humeral H3. This cabin I ishollow and'dividedby'a partition": 2

into compartment i i 'anda lower tom;- p'a-rtnien't' l6. The wallsofth'e' compattmemw including part ion *1 were provided with insula tion fl B in'the' uSQaI manner? V A bo y broadly designated-by the'sumerarae for supporting a plurality 0f b6tt1fes 22 f is mounted m any" suitable manner-' within the" compartg sem MT This bOdy-"ZWis formed-to dispo'se"al1- of the bottles-22inadupstaifd rig posi tion totes-deems"same accessible to *the tzi1stoiner after bperatinLg' by emit etter-means 1 or otherwise, mechanism that overlies and eases compartment '1 d but not "illustrateifin the-draw;

ings. Stitchlmeolianism-isshowii and described in -U. SZ-LetterS'Paterit 2,25058'16; dated July 29,

1941, and operates to renderfthe'bottls22 acces sible [to th'e' customer individuaily'upezi memes' of' a cots-0r like meammt -wa at ishollowandfincludeea schemes: tornwat] Zi'ha'vin an upstanding-"sideHvalI 2E5 y es" manated within the compartment l5 of 4 ';Thi's refrigerating un'itefi includes coils thin the compartment M ofbody l 0 andlengths 34", 36; $98 and 6E3 interconnecting' coils' SZFarQd tsianame unit eetvitmn' the compartment The length 38 6s reb'ent uponitself to project 'downwardly' into the com partment l 4" as at- 39*and then extends "laterally asat' M to wind at"least-once around theside wa1l 2e'of'bddy 20hn the-former the coil" G3? The tube formi-ng'coil 43- extends'downwardlyas at of these convolutions 62' of the coil -32 commune cates" with a'close'd' accumulator tankt "and eXtendsthereinto' 'asat 46 near' thebc-ttoinof tank 44. Obviously, this coil 32 including its convolutions 42; lengthsetl 'and efi and po'rtions stand-40 aretubulari An outlet pipe 48 also forming a part of the entire coil unit 32 extends from within the accu mulator tank 44 from a short length 50 having an open end near the top of the tank 44 and projects transversely with respect to the convolutions 42 and therebelow to join with the extension 40. Thus, there is a continuous tubular member extending from the unit 32 into the compartment I4, around the body and thence back .into compartment I6 to join with the unit 30.

The bottom wall 24, the side walls and all of the partitions 28 of the body 28, are formed of material preferably of metallic nature having high heat-conducting characteristics.

.The convolutions 42, the loop 43 and the accumulator tank 44 are all in contacting relationship with their respective parts of the body 26. In other words, all of the convolutions 42 are in contacting and preferably joined relationship with the outermost face of the wall 24 of body 26 and the coil 43 is in contacting, joined relationship with the walls 26 of body 20.

The accumulator tank 44 constitutes an elongated, closed metallic cylinder disposed at the axis of the body 20 within the partition structure 28 with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axes of bottles 22. As illustrated in Fig. 2, a portion of this accumulator tank 44 extends downwardly through an opening within the wall 24 of body 20 for receiving the coil 32 within which it is interposed. A suitable refrigerant is placed within the accumulator tank 44 and if such refrigerant is in a liquid form, the provision of the outlet opening for pipe 48 within the tank 44 above the level of liquid therein, prevents the latter from entering the coil 32. The temperature of the unit is held constant by a suitable thermostat not shown, having connection with its bulb 52 disposed within the body 20 by a line 54. This bulb 52 is shown mounted directly upon the side wall 26 of the body 20 but may be positioned anywhere within this body 20 as desired.

It is clear from the foregoing that the heat absorbing unit of the refrigerator 3!) is disposed within the compartment M of body In in heat absorbing and heat exchange relationship with all of the bottles 22. The fact that for the most part the coil 32 is in direct contacting relationship with ortions of the body 20 and particularly the bottom 24 and side wall 26 thereof, creates a heat exchange between the coil 32 and the bottles 22. Since the body 25, including its partition 28, is entirely made from material having high heat conducting properties, the heat of the bottles 22 and their contents will be absorbed quickly and easily by the coil 32 of the refrigerating structure 32. Obviously, all of the bottles 22 are in direct contacting relationship with the relatively thin bottom wall 24 of body 20 because these bottles rest thereon and furthermore, for the most part, the bottles 22 will be in contacting relationship with the walls forming partitions 28. In any event these bottles 22 are relatively close to such partition structure 28 and the heat emanating from bottles 22 will be quickly absorbed by partitions 28, walls '26 and the bottom wall 24 for final absorption by the coil structure 32. The accumulator tank 44 affords additional and quick refrigeration because of its disposition among the bottles 22 and further, because of the fact that this accumulator tank 44 is also made from heat conducting material and joins with the bottom wall 24.

As illustrated particularly in Fig. 1, this accumulator tank 44 forms the central stall and,

therefore, not only comes into contact with certain of the bottles 22 through partition structure 28 but through bottom wall 24. The space between tank 44 and the adjacent portion of the partition structure is filled with material 49 such as metal or plastic shavings having high conductivity of heat.

The diameter of the length of tube 36 extending from compressor unit 30 to its point of connection with loop 43 is relatively small with respect to coils 32 and 43 and when liquid under pressure reaches coils 43 and 32, a fall of pressure occurs due to expansion. Through such construction, no expansion valve or analogous port is needed.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the structure just defined provides refrigerating means for a bottle vending machine that is quick acting, easily installed and eflicient in its operation. A relatively small amount of energy is necessary to cool the bottles 22 and maintain the same at a desired temperature since the heat exchange is direct, by means of material having high heat conductivity, between the coils 32 and 43 and the bottles '22 with their contents.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the kind described, article supporting structure including an open top receptacle having a bottom wall, side walls and a plurality of interconnected partitions joined directly to the side walls and the bottom wall, setting off a plurality of substantially identical article receiving stalls, said receptacle being formed entirely from a relatively thin material having high heat conductive properties, the articles all engaging said bottom walls and that portion of the partitions forming their corresponding stalls, certain of the articles engaging proximal side walls of the receptacle; and refrigerating mechanism having evaporator tubing coiled tightly about and attached to the outer face of said side walls and convoluted beneath said bottom wall in direct, joined contact therewith.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, article supporting structure including an open top receptacle having a bottom wall, side walls and a plurality of interconnected partitions joined directly to the side walls and the bottom wall, setting ofi a plurality of substantially identical article receiving stalls, said receptacle being formed entirely from a relatively thin material having high heat conductive properties, the articles all engaging said bottom walls and that portion of the partitions forming their corresponding stalls, certain of the articles engaging proximal side walls of the receptacle; and refrigerating mechanism having evaporator tubing coiled tightly about and attached to the outer face of said side walls and convoluted beneath said bottom wall in direct, joined contact therewith, there being an accumulator tank interposed in said evaporator tubing made from a relatively thin, heat conducting material, extending upwardly into one of said stalls from a point of engagement with said bottom wall near the center thereof, and approximating said one stall in volume capacity.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, article supporting structure including an open top receptacle having a bottom wall, side walls and a plurality of interconnected partitions joined directly to the side walls and the bottom wall, setting off a plurality of substantially identical article receiving stalls, said receptacle being formed entirely from a relatively thin material having cumulator tank interposed in said evaporator tubing made from a relatively thin, heat conducting material, extending upwardly into one of said stalls from a point of engagement withsaid bottom wall near the center thereof, and approximating said one stall in volume capacityj and a filling of a heat conducting substance in Y surrounding, engagement with said accumulator tank and contacting proximal partitions and said bottom wall.

ELMER C. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES orTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,932,268 Frick Oct. 24, 1933 1,960,546 Olsen May 29, 1934 2,061,427 King Nov. 17, 1936 2,137,031 Smith Nov. 15, 1938 2,287,681 Hazard June 23, 1942 2,425,870

Dixon '1 Aug. 19, 1947 

